Seeing Through Tears Redux
by Mia52
Summary: Her life is filled with so much pain and tears that they became a permanent fixture a long time ago. She doesn't believe that a troublemaker like him can do anything about it. But sometimes, she has to force herself to see through the tears. AU
1. new school, same life

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**01. new school, same life**

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She washed the morning dishes and sighed. The time on the daisy-bordered clock read seven fifty-two—it was that late? Damn, she would have to hurry. She worked faster, scrubbing the last dish with a soapy sponge and then running the glassware under the lukewarm water one last time. She let out a loose breath, pulled her hands from the hot water, switched off the tap, and then ran her wet fingers through her raven hair.

"Kagome!" a voice called.

She froze. Oh no, please not this morning, she mentally supplicated—please, anyone, don't let her start this morning—

"Kagome!"

She turned to the open doorway, the distant echo of footsteps mirroring her thumping heart. She sounded close. Her brown eyes widen. Oh no. Kagome panicked, throwing her hands into the water. She hoped her aunt would not see her—too late.

Kagome felt a strong grip on her arm jerk her backwards until her body flushed against hers. "Why are your hands out of the water, Kagome?" She could hear the snarl in her voice and the grip on her arm only tightened. "You're supposed to be doing your chores. Not playing around!"

"But Auntie Reiko, I wasn't playing around—"

The sound of her palm meeting the skin of her cheek reverberated in the kitchen and the force of the slap sent her leaning over the sink. The tear that escaped her eye mixed with the remaining water as she watched it drain down the sink. "Don't you dare lie to me, Kagome."

Kagome straightened her back, making sure her reply was as nonchalant as possible. "I'm sorry, Auntie Reiko."

The corner of her mouth tipped. "You had better be sorry, you useless girl," she said. The grip on her arm vanished and Kagome heard her recede, taking a step back. "Now, hurry up with your chores before you're late for school. I will not accept any tardiness in this household. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Auntie Reiko…"

The sound of her fading footsteps told her she was going away… leaving her alone… for now.

Knowing her aunt was now out of hearing range; her body sagged against the edge of the sink. "Fuck," she whispered. "This is not going to be a good day."

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The morning drive to school was the same as every other: her aunt dropped off her brother first and every time her hands unknowingly gripped the edges of the seat because she was alone with her… again.

When the cool gray of her school building pulled into view, the prospect of a temporary freedom excited her, beckoned her. However, with her aunt in the car, Kagome kept a stoic face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her turn to her with a sinister smile. "Listen here, Kagome," she started, her hand reaching to caress her face mockingly, "you better not tell anyone about your 'discipline' this time. We don't want to have another… accident, do we?"

Kagome shook her head, in the process, trying to move away from the woman's touch—it seemed to scorch her skin. "No, Auntie Reiko, I don't."

She nodded. "Good." She leaned forward, grasping the side of her head to place a kiss on her cheek—something she does every school day and something Kagome wished she could scrub away a hundred times over. The grip on her head receded and she leaned across her, her face dangerously close, and opened the passenger door for her. "Now get out and have a good day at school."

She didn't have to tell her twice. With a firm smile, Kagome left the car and hurried into the school building. She rifled through her jacket before bringing up a slip of paper with her class schedule on it. She inspected the small lettered numerals. It was almost routine: she pushed away the events of the morning to a secret, locked corner of her mind scheduled to open when she returned home. "Where is the Science room?" she asked aloud. Kagome shook her head. "I have to quit talking to myself. People might get ideas."

She stuffed her schedule in her pocket and straightened her shoulders. Kagome adjusted her books in her arms, fixing her book-bag's strap across her chest. While walking down the hallway, Kagome noticed a huddle of students out of the corner of her eye. She watched them laugh and a sort of longing inside her developed—no, this isn't the way to fell… that isn't for you… your life is different now… a part of her mind reminded. Their amused laughs bounced off the walls of the hallway as she followed them from a few feet away. Probably a rumor… meaningless gossip… whatever it was, it wouldn't be for her—not with her aunt ruling her life.

All of a sudden, someone pushed her aside.

"Hey!" Kagome stumbled, tripping over her feet. As she fell backwards, her books dropped to the floor. Papers scattered everywhere and she looked up in helpless sincerity at the person who bumped into her.

"Watch where you're going, you stupid girl," a voice sneered.

"You bumped into me!" Kagome retorted in irritation, dusting herself off. She gathered her papers one by one. However, the person walked on without a care, his long black hair following him.

Kagome heard a snicker in the background. Her face burned with embarrassment but she refrained from looking back as she picked up the last of her papers.

"Hey, do you need any help?"

Kagome raised her head to meet the kind face of a dark-haired boy. The small glint of his hoop earrings caught her eyes as he bent to retrieve her books.

Kagome smiled. "Thank you."

"I saw what happened. Are you okay?"

Kagome met his gaze and touched the back of her neck, her embarrassment resurfacing. "Yeah, I'm alright."

He shook his head. "He's a jerk to everyone. Don't worry about it." All of a sudden, he touched her cheek. "But that wasn't what I was talking about. I'm talking about this. Did you get hit by something?"

Kagome pulled away as if burned. Was it from this morning? It shouldn't be there… her aunt only needed an excuse… Damn, she had been in such a rush she hadn't had enough time to check herself. Glancing to the left, the glass-encased bulletin board gave her a reflection of the reddish bruise that marred her face.

Fuck.

Looking away, Kagome forced a tight smile and waved it off, putting some distance between her and the mystery boy. "Oh, this is nothing. I was playing ball with my younger brother yesterday and the ball hit me. It'll clear in a few days."

The boy stared at her then shrugged. "Okay… well, what are you doing carrying around all these books with you? Haven't you found your locker?"

Kagome nodded.

"Then why are you lugging them around? There are small breaks between classes—you don't need all this with you at once."

Realization dawned onto her. "Oh! I-I didn't know. You see, at my old school, we didn't have many breaks between classes, so we had to carry everything we would need for the day with us. Thank you for letting me know, um…"

He grinned. "I'm Miroku. What's your name?"

"I'm Kagome; it's nice meeting you, Miroku." Kagome held out the copy of her schedule to him, pointing to a class. "Do you know where the Science room is?"

Miroku nodded. "I can show you the way if you like."

Kagome smiled, tilting her head appreciatively. "Thanks, Miroku. That would be great."

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After waving goodbye to Miroku, Kagome took a determined breath and then entered the classroom. The doorknob twisted with a loud creak, making her cringe. She noticed everyone staring at her, including the teacher with his hand outstretched towards the chalkboard.

He smiled at her. "Kagome Higurashi?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes."

"Take a seat," he invited warmly.

With a seat near the window, shutting the world out seemed easier. Kagome propped her head upon a loose fist and gazed at the trees, occasionally listening to the teacher review the syllabus. The ringing of the bell brought her back to the present and Kagome slipped the course outline in her book-bag and hurried from the class.

The gymnasium wasn't hard to find and, as she entered the girls' locker room, the gratitude in her mind was infinite. She changed into her uniform quickly, looking around, warily for any signs of an audience. Fortunately, there were no other girls present in the room.

"Hello, freak."

Kagome jumped, turning around to meet the condescending stares of three girls whom she hoped would be in a different class. She regarded them quietly then muttered a quick 'hi' and walked away in a rush.

One girl stepped forward, blocking her path, a small smirk on her lips.

Kagome saw her skinny arms folded over her chest and her green eyes glint dangerously. She leaned forward to speak, her ponytail swaying back and forth. Kagome noticed a small scar on her fair skin near her temple; it didn't look like it was going away anytime soon.

"I need to talk a couple of things over with you," the girl said. She smirked. "Freak."

The other two girls giggled.

Kagome tried to walk around them. "I'm not interested."

The girl sneered. "You will look at me when I'm speaking to you, you freak." She jabbed Kagome in the chest. "You're in my area and I want you out of it."

Kagome's forehead wrinkled. "Gladly, but it's the only locker available. Deal with it."

The girl's eyes narrowed, but Kagome ignored her, attempting to walk away. An abrupt hand on her shoulder pulled her back on her heels and Kagome felt sharp nails dig into her skin. Before she had a chance to regain balance, a hand suddenly lashed out at her already bruised face.

"No one asked for your smart mouth, bitch."

In one violent motion, Kagome felt herself shoved recklessly into the lockers. The metal against her back groaned in protest and the locks jingled loudly in the silence. The girl had a disgustingly sweet smile on her face. "I don't think you have heard me clearly, freak."

The sound of her aunt saying those very words made her eyes widen; fear clutched her heart. Oh god, no. Kagome tried to push the girl away, though she knew it was futile. "Get away from me!"

The girl's features twisted into heinous amusement and she slapped her again. "Stop struggling, you bitch."

Knowing she was outnumbered, Kagome stilled but avoided the girl's gaze.

"Good girl. Now, I will say this again. I do not want you anywhere near here."

"Okay, okay," she repeated, her voice now pleading.

The girl leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "Good." Before Kagome could recover, a hard knee came, digging into her stomach.

Kagome sucked in a breath, not expecting the pain and clutched her stomach. The aching intensified and she gasped.

The only sound other than her was the fading laughter of the three girls.

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Kagome sculpted a figure with a surprising likeness to the redhead in her mashed potatoes. Then she crushed the figure with the tines of the bendable fork. A sharp pain throbbed in her stomach yet again. With a groan, she curled an arm around her middle.

Something slamming onto the spot beside her startled her. Kagome looked to see the boy from the hallway. What was his name again… Miroku?

Miroku took his seat, laughing. "I didn't mean to scare you, Kagome," he said.

She smiled weakly. "It's okay, Miroku." She turned to her food and scrutinized it. Her stomach clenched again. She decided right then that eating would only make her feel worse.

"Are you okay? You haven't touched your food."

Kagome met his concerned gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just not hungry." She grinned past the ache in her middle and pushed her tray to the side.

"You wouldn't mind if I took it, then?"

Kagome shook her head and smiled when Miroku grinned happily, pulling the tray towards his side. He sighed. "This is so delicious!"

Kagome giggled.

"What a line!" Kagome heard a singsong voice complain and then the presence of someone behind made her tense. "And all for just a stupid slice of turkey and mashed potatoes, Miroku."

Kagome turned around halfway to see a bubbly girl with her dark hair pulled back neatly from her face. Her petite figure rounded the table and Kagome watched her with curiosity as she pulled up a seat next to Miroku.

"How have you been, Miroku?" the girl chirped.

Miroku, with his mouth fill, lifted his chin in acknowledgment. "I've been fine, Sango," he replied, swallowing. "And to what you said earlier, the food sure tastes great."

Sango smiled brightly and kissed his cheek in greeting. She turned to face Kagome and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, hey! What's your name?"

"That's the new kid, Sango," Miroku informed before Kagome could speak.

Sango's eyebrows furrowed. "Is she the girl everyone is talking about?"

Kagome smiled sheepishly and introduced herself with a warm smile.

"I met her in the hallway earlier, babe," Miroku recounted in between mouthfuls. "She had fell and dropped her things. I was helping her pick them up."

With a nod, Sango threw herself into a conversation with Miroku. Kagome watched the couple chat and laugh about an assortment of secret things, sneaking in little kisses here and there, and she knew it was not right to intrude.

Turning her head away, she laid her arms on top of the table and cradled her head.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Sango asked suddenly.

She raised her head from the table. "I'm fine," Kagome replied, reserved.

"Are you feeling sick? If you are, I can walk you to the nurse's office."

Kagome blinked and shook her head. "No, I'm alright, Sango. I just have a slight headache."

The black-haired girl scrutinized Kagome carefully, tilting her head sideways. "Well, if you're sure…"

"I'm fine, Sango—really."

Giving her one last concerned look, Sango turned back to her conversation. The sound of the bell ringing turned up the volume of chatter in the cafeteria as the hundreds of students prepared to leave.

Sango smiled at Kagome and gave her a hug. "It was nice meeting you. See you tomorrow, Kagome." She walked away hand-in-hand with Miroku.

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The rest of the day crept by and after doing the groceries, the increasing dread in her heart was hard to ignore. Nevertheless, when her house came into view, her heart felt like it weighed a ton. Her fingers trembled as she fished for her keys. Upon entry, Kagome took note of the lack of shoes by the door.

Her aunt and brother weren't home yet.

Good.

Kagome removed her shoes and put away the groceries. With a tired sigh, she headed to her bedroom. The idea of a shower seemed inviting but exhaustion only allowed her to toss her bag to the ground, pull on a loose fitting t-shirt and slump onto her bed.

When her eyes finally slid open in the now dimly lit room, illuminated only by streetlights outside, a sudden panic spread through her. Throwing the covers off, Kagome peered at the neon digital numbers on her alarm clock. She sat up suddenly. When her still waking mind realized that it was past seven, Kagome went into a frenzied rush. She tried to come up with the possibilities of what her uncle might do to her when he confronted her about undone chores and a dinner unmade.

The curse was out of her mouth almost automatic. "Shit!" She bolted from her bedroom and into the kitchen. Once there, she slipped the light switch and hurried to the cabinets, clattering through them with her hands. Pulling away different pots and pans, she started making dinner.

"Kagome, Kagome!"

She turned to the voice.

Her brother, Souta, stood at the threshold of the kitchen, his dark hair sleep-tousled and large brown eyes shining brightly. Souta pulled on his blue pajamas, pouting at his older sister. "Kagome, I'm hungry."

Kagome only smiled. "Dinner will be ready soon, Souta."

Souta grinned and ran to the table, taking a seat.

Kagome figured ramen to be the best dinner choice and quickly fixed up a bowl for bother herself and her brother. She watched Souta say a quick prayer of thanks to God and then dug in.

"Souta, did you shower before putting on your pajamas?" Kagome asked, suddenly realizing how hungry she was.

"Yeah, I did—" Souta yawned and rubbed at her eyes, "but I went to sleep right after."

Kagome patted the boy's head. "Don't feel so bad about it. I did too."

Souta only smiled widely then took another forkful of noodles.

When the two of them finished, Kagome walked to the sink and dropped her hands into the water, continuing the same dishwashing routine. With her mind occupied with the task before her, she paused, scrubbing a particular spot on a plate when she heard her name called.

"Yes, Souta?" Kagome turned to her brother, her eyebrows raised.

"can you help me with my homework? There are a couple of math problems that I don't get."

She smiled. "Sure, sweetie, I'll help you, but right after I'm done with the chores, okay?"

Souta grinned and continued eating his dinner with a happy hum.

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She awoke in a cold sweat. Her breath was ragged and loud. Her heart pounded against her chest. Pressure swelled at her throat and she bit hard on her bottom lip. Her hands fist clumps of fabric, knuckles turning ash white. Kagome pulled her knees to her chest and tucked her face under the fold of her arms.

_The resounding sound of a slap followed by a loud voice, "You monster!"_

She couldn't help the tears as they flowed without care down her face, soaking the sleeve of her shirt.

"Kagome…"

Kagome looked up with a start in fear but when she saw her brother's figure standing n the doorway, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Souta?"

Souta sniffed and launched his tiny body onto the bed next to his sister.

"Souta, what's wrong?" she asked, worried.

The boy sniffed again and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to. I don't want Aunt Reiko to find out."

"Shh… Souta, don't cry. Auntie Reiko isn't going to know," Kagome assured him. She cupped a wet cheek and wiped his tears away with the pad of her thumb. She gave him a soft smile and kissed his forehead.

Souta hiccupped but returned the smile.

Kagome pulled her brother onto the bed and tucked him in. "Rest, okay? I'll be right back." Souta agreed and Kagome tiptoed from the room and into her brother's room. She worked quickly to remove the soiled sheets and changed them. She threw the dirty ones in the harbor for cleaning.

Their aunt couldn't know Souta wet the bed again.

The last time she found out—

Kagome immediately stopped herself from remembering what had happened and continued on, laying a clean bed sheet on the bare mattress. Done, she thought, we're safe now. Kagome headed back to her bedroom. She pulled the sheets back and snuggled into her brother's side.

Souta turned and pressed his face into Kagome's chest. "I love you, Kagome," he said, half asleep.

Kagome tried to smile and circled her arms around her brother's waist. She buried her face into his hair. "I love you, too, Souta," he said in a soft voice. The tears she tried to hold at bay began to fall once more.

_I'm sorry._

_._

**from the writer.  
**

This is the child abuse/high school cliché. In some ways, this story will be an experiment because I'll be trying out one or two new things with the romance aspect, so I hope it succeeds. Let's see how you guys feel.

For now, the rating is T, but if I deem it appropriate, I will change the rating to a M. If that happens, I will give advance warning.

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**F.A.Q:**

**Q: How many chapters will there be?**

A: Between 20-30 chapters

**Q: How old are the characters?**

A: Kagome, Sango and Kouga are sixteen. InuYasha and Miroku are seventeen. Souta is eight. Ayame is eighteen.

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August 29, 2014


	2. troublesome

**02. troublesome  
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Kagome and her brother sat at the kitchen table and ate breakfast quietly. The only sound between them was the clink of spoon against bowl. Souta was his usual amiable self, while Kagome more tensed.

Their aunt came in and headed straight to the coffee machine. Kagome watched with mild gratitude knowing very well how much harder it would be for her to deal with her if she had not yet had her morning caffeine.

She poured the coffee into an old mug and leaned against the counter. The familiar frigid gaze on her face measured her. "What is for breakfast, Kagome?"

She couldn't help but look at her over before answering. She was a beautiful dark-haired woman, with her hair pulled back in a tight bun. The overhead lighting shone over her fair skin. She was dressed in a crisp and immaculate fashion in an expensive pantsuit. No one would have ever believed such a sophisticated looking woman would live such a dark life at home. "I made pancakes with eggs and bacon, Auntie Reiko. Would you like some?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you, dear." She took another sip from her mug. "I have an early meeting today. I want you and your brother in bed by nine tonight." She threw back the last of her coffee and headed out without another word.

Kagome kept her eyes on her plate as she continued eating. "Yes, Auntie Reiko," she replied obediently.

Later, she tossed the dishes into the sink and began her morning routine. If she paced herself right, she would have time to finish her chores, take her brother to school and still be about three to five minutes early for class.

.

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"Miroku! Get away from my fries! Go get your own!" Sango valiantly tried to save her fries from her greedy boyfriend.

"Aww, c'mon, Sango, dear," Miroku teased.

"No! I'm hungry!"

"Um…" Kagome hesitated as she sat across the pair. "Aren't you on a diet, Sango?"

She scowled. "I'm damn hungry. The damn diet only left me starving and stupid. Why, I only made an A- on the last test!" She slammed her soda so hard on the table that it sloshed over the edges of the can.

Kagome jumped at the sound and hastily handed her friend a fresh handful of napkins. "I'm sorry for upsetting you, Sango," she said immediately.

Sango raised an eyebrow. "What? Why are you apologizing to me? It's not your fault." She dabbed at the spilled soda.

Recognizing her moment of preoccupation, Miroku stole another fry from her plate.

"Miroku, get your own!" Sango took her plate.

Kagome watched as the two bickered and sighed. "Don't worry; I'll give you my fries once I get my lunch, Sango." She stood up. "I'll be right back."

She stood in line and waited her turn when she suddenly sensed a familiar presence. Her body tensed. No, she told herself, they wouldn't try anything in front of all these people. She stood silent, staring ahead but the heated glares burning holes into her head made it difficult to ignore them.

Something in her made her turn around. "Is there something that you guys want to ask since you love to stare at the back of my head so much?" she asked with a sweet smile.

The three pairs of eyes took in the length of her profile. "No."

Kagome grinned, smiling so hard it made her cheeks hurt. "Then stop looking so damn hard." She turned and grabbed her plate of food from the lunch woman. She stepped from the line and moved to pass the group, but without warning, she suddenly tripped, falling face first, into her lunch.

The chatter and laughter in the lunchroom ceased for a minute before it erupted into a howling bout of laughter.

She pulled her face from the bowl. She tried to blink through the residue but her eyes stung. Kagome wiped her face with the back of her hand, the soup spilling onto the sleeves of her top, while secretly hoping someone would step forward and help, but no one did.

She was alone as always.

With tears in her eyes, Kagome struggled to her feet and rushed pass the group, their laughter still echoing behind her.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Kagome made her way through the hallway, not daring to return to the cafeteria. She sighed painfully.

The humiliation of her misstep guided her aimlessly through the school building. A secret hope that she would somehow trap herself in the depths of a janitor's closet down below or a deserted classroom up above seemed desirable at the moment, but when the sudden glare of the sun made her shield her eyes, Kagome took a quick look around, finding her surroundings quite unfamiliar. As she took a few steps forward, the view of the school parking lot down below finally give a clue to where she was: the roof.

Nice.

Kagome took tentative steps around. A linked fence ran around the edges. The school must have suspected their students of using the roof at one point or another.

She walked to the opposite side of the linked fence and looked over the schoolyard. She pressed her forehead against the cool metal and sighed. At least here, she thought, I can have the peace and quiet to think without interruption.

She closed her eyes. She missed the soft voice that always welcomed her home from school. She wished for the gruff echo of laughter at her silly antics.

With anger, she struck the fence with clenched hands. "Shit! You're so weak!"

She was sick of the abuse and mistreatment – from everyone! "Why can't I stand up for myself?" she asked herself.

She smiled, surprising herself and then began to laugh harshly. "Yeah, right!" she wheezed, barely able to catch her breath. "I know I would never do such a thing. I can't even protect myself from my own—" She struck the fence once, "—fucking—" twice, "—aunt!" thrice.

Kagome squeezed her eyes tight. She was usually good at keeping her emotions at bay, but…

A flash of memory intruded her mind. The shatter of glass and a soft murmur, "That's good."

She felt a fist close around her heart. "I'm sorry," she said through her tears. "I'm so sorry for—"

"Hey. This area's taken, you know."

_"Hey, watch where you're going, you stupid girl," a patronizing voice snapped._

_Unprepared for such hostility, her eyebrows wrinkled. "I'm sorry," she said as she lifted her head. She blinked, confused when she realizes the person had already walked away. All she saw was black hair…_

A masculine voice caused Kagome to spin around in surprise. She watched him toss his used cigarette butt to the side.

"Who asked you anyway? Just…" she trailed off and shook her head. She wasn't in the mood to argue. "Never mind, I'll just leave." She rubbed her hand against her eyes, and was about to walk off, but a tug on her wrist made her turn around.

The dark, dark blue color of his eyes gazed at her, and she remained unmoving, despite her natural instinct to free herself and move away.

"I didn't say you had to leave." He stepped closer. "Why are you crying?"

Kagome pulled away and glared at his face, which she noticed was quite beautiful, especially the slight look of concern that caused the knit in his brow— "It's nothing," she said defensively.

The boy raised a pierced eyebrow. "Nothing, you say?" He stepped closer. "If it was nothing, you wouldn't be crying," he stated.

Kagome moved away from him. Who was he anyway? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? It wasn't too much to ask, really.

A few silent minutes passed between them. The boy's lip curled in annoyance. "Fine! I was going to hear you out, but forget it."

Kagome watched him grab his bag, ready to leave; however, she didn't expect him to call out after her.

"The curiosity is killing me," he admitted. "Tell me: did your boyfriend break up with you or something?"

Kagome shook her head.

"Did you fail a test, then?"

Kagome remained mute.

"Well, if it's not any of that, then what's your problem?"

She twiddled her fingers, her thumbs colliding with each other. "I tripped and fell onto my lunch," she stated blatantly.

He sucked his teeth. "Let me guess: Ayame, right?"

"I… I guess so?"

He waved his hand. "Don't worry about her. That bitch got me in trouble with the principal the first day I came to this shitty school." He laughed. "Hell, all she had done is kissed the asses of every faculty member."

"Oh."

"So, what's your name, baby?"

Her lips curled, eyes narrowing in his direction. "Baby?" she mocked. "I am _not_ your 'baby'."

He stood, grabbing his bag and smirked at her. "What's your name?" he repeated.

"Kagome," she said slowly. "And yours?"

He tilted his head with a slight smile on his lips. "InuYasha."

"Well, it was nice meeting you, InuYasha," she replied. "So, tell me, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside with the other kids?" For some reason, he didn't seem like a loner to her. He gave the impression he was a player with his arrogance.

InuYasha shrugged a shoulder lazily. "I hate the cafeteria, and I like to smoke, so I hang here."

Kagome nodded in acknowledgement. She read the time on her watch realizing her next class would start soon. "I better get going before I'm late for my next class." She slid her brown eyes towards him. "It was…" she wavered, "really nice meeting you, InuYasha."

"The same to you, babe," he remarked playfully.

She rolled her eyes but waved goodbye nonetheless.

.

.

Kagome covered her ears with her hands. Why did I agree to come to Miroku's football practice again, she wondered. She glared at Sango, but she kept herself from strangling the girl.

Sango stood beside her, cheering her boyfriend on.

Kagome rubbed her temples with her fingers. She swore her friend sounded like a howler monkey. She would lose her hearing if this kept up. The past week had been better for her, so when Sango asked her to join her to one of Miroku's football practice, she held no objection. Now she regretted the decision.

Miroku turned to Sango's voice, smiling and blowing her a kiss before concentrating on the game.

Sango blushed but laughed, shouting, "I love you!" When he turned away, she took her seat beside Kagome, a wide grin on her face. "Doesn't Miroku look great?" she gushed.

Kagome nodded, smiling.

Sango smiled an open-mouthed smile and giggled. Once her giggling subsided, she turned to her book-bag and unzipped it. She rummaged through it for a few minutes before giving her a triumphant cry. With a flourish, Sango pulled out… a wrapped piece of bubblegum.

Kagome gave her a look of disbelief.

Sango paid her no mind. She pulled the paper away from the gum and popped it into her mouth.

"Enjoying yourself?" Kagome asked.

Sango looked at her, defensively, working the piece of gum in her mouth. "It tastes just like grapes."

"Yeah, candy grapes, maybe."

She brushed her comment off with a wave of her hand. "It's all the same."

Kagome shrugged, leaning her head against her hand and letting her eyes wander over the benches. Her eyes drooped and she fell into a half daze while the conversations around her merged into buzzing white noise. However, Sango must have noticed because she was poking the girl nonstop.

Kagome rolled her eyes and looked to the field. A head of dark hair appeared in the corner of her eye and her brows crease. Why did it look so familiar?

Kagome faltered. The person she had bumped into nearly a month earlier was InuYasha? She couldn't believe it. Urgent, she grabbed Sango's arm and nearly pulled her into her lap. "Sango! Look, look!" she exclaimed.

"Whoa! Calm down, will ya? What is it, Kagome?"

Kagome pointed to where InuYasha was sitting. "It's that mysterious boy I was telling you about!"

Sango followed the line of her finger. In an instant, her smile dropped. She groaned and placed her hand to her forehead.

"Oh, goodness gracious," she says, disgust in her voice.

Kagome folded her arms. "What about him, Sango?"

Her friend glanced at her and sighed. "Kagome, that boy is someone that you do not want to," she paused, choosing her words, "associate with. He's a loser. All he does is wander around the school and skips all of his classes. He's a failure, that's all. He'll never amount to anything here."

"Oh." She gazed at InuYasha who now had his head buried in his book. "He seemed lonely."

"That's because he doesn't like other people's company."

Kagome frowned. No, he couldn't be the loser Sango said he was – just as she couldn't be the monster that her aunt accused her of being, right? She stood and walked down the benches. Sango called out her name but she paid her no heed.

Kagome took a seat next to him, muttering a shy hello.

However, InuYasha didn't acknowledge it.

Kagome cleared her throat, undeterred and tapped him on the shoulder.

He met her eyes, a pair of black-rimmed reading glasses settled high on the bridge of his nose.

"Do you remember me?"

He smirked and replied, "How could I forget?" He returned his attention to the book in his lap.

She ignored the sarcastic comment and cleared her throat again. "I noticed that you looked kind of lonely sitting over here by yourself and I was wondering if you would like to come sit with me and my friend, Sango."

InuYasha looked at her. His gaze traveled meticulously over her body, making the girl suddenly feel self-conscious. It was such a deliberate inspection… it was like an insult.

"You're shameless," she remarked, meeting his gaze.

InuYasha didn't say anything as he redirected his attention to the book in his hand. "I don't think so."

She stood and put a hand on her hip. "I just wanted to invite you over to sit with me and my friend," she reasoned.

InuYasha closed the book with a single hand and removed his glasses with the other. "I wouldn't dream of it," he answered smoothly.

"You do not have to be rude about it. All you had to say was no."

"I did, baby, but you persisted on it—"

"It's Kagome to you. You have not right to call me that," she snapped.

"—now, can you please leave me alone so I can get back to my reading? Thank you so much."

You know what, forget it, she thought to herself. "Okay, fine, whatever." She turned and headed back to where Sango was sitting.

"Let me guess?" Sango's voice broke through the disappointment that blanketed her mind.

She blinked. "Huh?"

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Things didn't work out the way you wanted them to, now did they?"

Kagome shook her head with a sigh and adjusted herself comfortably on the bench. "No."

Sango placed a supportive hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Hey, cheer up. I don't want you losing your mind over that loser. Forget him." She looped an arm around her and gave her a hug.

Kagome hesitated at the sudden closeness but smiled softly.

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A/N: Finally got around to completing the second chapter. Not too happy with it, but it's the best I could get out. The next chapter I'm still waiting for it to be returned from the beta. Hope you enjoy!

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September 8, 2014


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